Moving stairway



March 12, 1940. J. DUNLOP MOVING STAIRWAY Filed Jan. 4, 1939 INVENTOR-fa/vmaaflu/7/0,0.

' WITNESSES:

RNEY

Patented Main-12, 1940 a r UNITED- STATES I MOVING s'rAmWAY I JamesDunlop, 'Ridgewood, N. J., assignor to Westinghouse Electric ElevatorCompany, Jersey City, N. J.,- a corporation of Illinoisv ApplicationJanuary 4, 1939, Serial No. 249,204

My invention relates to moving Stairways, and more particularly to thebalustrading provided for the sides of such Stairways. r r

In constructing moving Stairways leading from a lower landing to anupper landing, considerable difiiculty has always been encountered insetting up the balustrading for the stairway steps, particularly inmounting the lower panelor skirt on the balustrading in correct positionwith re- .lation to the sides of the steps. If the opening between thebalustrading skirt and the sidespof the stair runway is too wide,- dirtand small objects are liable'to get between the skirt and the movingsteps and cause trouble. Also, if the opening is too wide, thepassengers on the steps may get the ends of their canes or unbrellascaught'in the opening, and, in extreme cases, even parts of a passengersshoe may be caught between the skirt and the steps, resulting in. dangerfor the passenger and trouble inoperating the steps.

On the contrary, if the opening between the steps and skirt is toosmall, the steps may after being operated'a Iwhile wear in such manneras to impinge against the skirt, with resulting noise and difficulty inoperation. Heretofore, the matter of correctly adjustingjthe position ofthe skirt with reference to the steps has been eifected by the use ofshims between the frame and the skirt. The use of shims makes itdifli'cult to assemble the balustrading and the skirt .in correctposition adjacent to the steps and also makes it difficult to readjustthe position of the skirt. These difficulties arise because in preparingthe balustrading and the frame, it is necessary to have all the boltholes accurately placed inlthe various parts so they will line upcorrectly when the balustrading and skirt are assembled.- Furthermore,the shims are difficult to handle and keep in place while the bolts arebeing loosened and tightened here andthere as theparts are assembled andadjusted. Therefore it is an object of my invention to provide abalustrading construction by means of which the balustrading skirt maybe set up in its correct position with reference to the steps in'a shorttime with a minimum amount of effort, andby means of which the skirt maybe quickly and easily readjusted to its correct position whenever it isfound that the steps are moving along a line too close or too far awayfrom "the skirt.

Another object is to provide a balustrading for moving stairways inwhich the skirt for .the balustrading may be conducted of thinnerlighter material than heretofore possible;

8 Claims. (01. 98-16) A further object is to provide fastening means fortheskirts of balustrading in moving stairways which lends itself betterto supporting curved skirt portions than does the fastening meansheretofore utilized.

, It is also an object to provide a balustrading which shall require aminimum amount of engineeringand fabrication in preparation forinmaintained in operation.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

stallat ion and which shallbe low in cost and easily Figure 1 is anillustration in side elevation of a series of moving steps provided withbalustrading, constructed in accordance with my invention.

'Fig. 21s a view taken along the line II-II of Fig. l; with a smallportion of the upper balustrading for a stairway added thereto; and

Fig. 3 is a'viewin perspective of the balustrading skirt shown inFigs. land 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have illustrated a'movingstairway as embodying an endless series of moving steps I0 disposed tooperate between 'an upper landing H and a lower landing '(not shown).provided. with balustrading panels 12, only a small portion of one ofwhich is shown in Fig. 2. Thebalustrading panels may be supported upona, balustrading frame in the usual manner, as represented'jbythebalustrading brackets 13, I4, I5'and l6. f The frames includingbrackets of this nature are old'and Well known in the moving stairwayart and may be attached to the stairway truss (not shown) or besupported in any suitable manner to provide a longitudinal framefor'thefbalustrading.

[ "Afbalustrading skirt panel I! is provided to extend along, the sideof the moving steps to protect them from injury and to close the openingbetween the balustrading frame and the. sides of the steps".

"I have provided a novel means for adjustably supporting the skirt H onthe balustrading I framework comprising a slot bar [8 mounted on theinner face of the skirt, a longitudinal bar l9 mounted on the framework,and a plurality, of push and pull'bolts 20 for adjustably connecting theskirtto the longitudinal bar.

The bar [8 is preferably of extruded non-ferrous' 'metal' and isprovided with an outwardly opening: longitudinal T slot 22. The extrudedbar may be secured to the inner face of the skirt inany suitable manner,as by a plurality of mal chinecbol-ts 23,:sothat it becomes practicallya The stairway steps may be part of the skirt. The T slot in the barextends longitudinally of the bar and is of suificient size to receive aplurality of internally screw-threaded nuts 24. It will be apparent fromthis construction that the bar IE not only acts as a fastening means,but also acts as a stiflfner for the skirt, thus permitting the use ofthinner material in the skirt than heretofore practicable. It will alsobe evident that the extruded bar l8 lends itself readily to supportingcurved skirt surfaces than does other fastening means as the bar can beprebent to the desired radius and the skirt material can be fastened toit and the assembly installed in a more efficient way than formerly.

The longitudinal bar I9 is shown as an angle iron and is secured to thebalustrading frame by welding its upper surface to a plurality of angleiron clips 2| which are in turn, welded to the balustrading brackets I 5and. [6. In the level portion of the stairway at the landing II, thecorresponding longitudinal bar or angle iron 19 is secured in positionby welding its ends to the sides of the brackets 13 and M.

The lower depending flange of the bar I9 is provided with a series ofholes'or apertures 26 which extend transversely of the flange and arespaced apart along the line of the flange corresponding to the line ofmovement of the stairway steps. These holes may be spaced any suitabledistance apart. In practice, it has been found that a suitableconstruction is secured by placing the holes about four feet apart.

The screw-threaded stud bolts 20 extend from the nuts 24 in the T slot22 through the apertures 26 in the flange of the longitudinal bar l9 andare retained in any desired position by a nut 27 on the inner face ofthe flange and a nut 28 on the outer face of the flange. v

In erecting the skirt, a plurality of the nuts 24 are placed in the slot22; then one'of thescrewthreaded stud bolts 20 is screwed into each ofthe nuts 24 a suitable distance. Next the nuts 21 are placed on theother ends of the stud bolts which are then moved along the skirt untilthey can be easily disposed in the longitudinal. bar l9. When each ofthe nuts 24 is properly located in the slot 22 with reference to theholes 25, the bolt is tightened in the nut'24 so that its end impingesagainst the inner surface of the T slot and thereby holds the bolt, nutand skirt in firm position with reference to each other. After the bolts20 are disposed through the holes 26, the nuts 28 are placed on their'free ends to hold the parts in place.

If the skirt is too close to the side of the moving steps if], the nuts21 are loosened and the bolts 2!! are moved to the left (Fig. 2) untilthe skirt is the correct distance away from the steps. Then the nuts 28are tightened against the bar E8 to hold the skirt ll firmly in theposition to which it has been adjusted. If the skirt is too far awayfrom the steps, the nuts 28 are loosened, the skirt is-moved outwardlyuntil in its correct position, and then the nuts 2'! and 28 aretightened to hold it there,

If it is found after the stairway has been in operation for some time,that the steps I'll are moving too close to or too far away from thebalustrade skirt, so that crevice between them is either too narrow ortoo wide, the position of the skirt maybe easily readjusted by looseningthe nuts 2? and 28 on the bolts 20, moving the skirt to the correctposition with reference to the steps, and then tightening the nuts 21and 28 against the bar l9 to hold the skirt in its correct position.

The balustrading skirt IT at the upper landing ll may be easily mountedand'adjusted on the longitudinal bar [9 in the same manner as the skirtalong the inclined portion of the stairway.

By the foregoing construction, it will be seen that I have provided anovel construction by means of which the balustrading skirt of a movingstairway may be quickly and easily constructed, assembled and adjustedwith a small degree of original layout work and without the use of shimsand a large amount of labor in erecting and maintaining the skirt incorrect position during the life of operation ofthe stairway.

Although I have illustrated and described only one embodiment of myinvention, it is to beunderstood that modifications thereof and changestherein may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps and abalustrading for one side of the steps comprising a longitudinal framedisposed in line with the moving steps and having a transverse aperture,a longitudinalskirt panel disposed between the frame and the steps, saidskirtbeing provided with a longitudinal slot on its frame side, a bolthaving its one end adjustably secured in said slot and its other enddisposed in said aperture, and means for fixing the end of the bolt inthe aperture and for moving itlongitudinally at any time to'any otherposition and fixing it in'such position to maintain the skirt in correctposition with reference to the steps.

2. In a'moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps, abalustrading for one side of the steps comprising a longitudinal framedisposed in line with the moving steps, said frame being provided with atransverse aperture, a lon- I gitudinal skirt panel disposed between theframe and the steps, said skirt being provided with a longitudinal sloton its frame side, a nut disposed in the slot, a stud bolt having itsone end screwed into the nut in the slot and its other end disposedthrough said aperture, and a plurality of nuts I disposed on the studbolt for adjustably fixing the bolt in the aperture to hold the skirt incorrect position with reference to the steps.

3. In a moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps, abalustrading for one side of the steps comprising a longitudinal framedisposed in line with the moving steps, said frame being provided with atransverse aperture, a longitudinal skirt panel disposed between theframe and the steps, said skirt having a longitudinal T nut disposed onthe stud bolt at each. side of. the

frame for adjustably fixing the bolt in the aperture to hold the skirtin correct position with reference to the steps.

4. In a moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps, abalustrading for one side of the steps comprising a longitudinal framedisposed in line with the moving steps, said frame being provided with atransverse aperture, a longitudinal skirt panel disposed between theframe and the steps to enhance the safe operation of the steps, alongitudinal bar provided with a T slot mounted on the frame side of theskirt with the T slot opening outwardly, a bolt having its one endsecured in the T slot and its other end disposed through the aperture inthe frame, and a ing the bolt in the frame to hold ,the skirt in correctposition with reference to the steps.

5. In a moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps, abalustrading for one side of the steps comprising a longitudinal framedisposed in parallel with the moving steps, a longitudinal bar mountedon the frame and provided with a transverse aperture, a' longitudinalskirt panel disposed between the frame and the steps for enhancing thesafe operation of the steps, a

T-slot bar, means for fixing the T-slot bar ony the frame side of thepanel with the T slot opening toward the frame and in line with themoving steps, a nut slidably disposed in the T slot, a stud bolt havingits one end screwed into the nut and its other end disposed through theaperture, and a nut disposed on the'bolt at each side of thelongitudinal bar for adjustably fixing the bolt to hold the skirt panelin its correct po-.

sition with reference to the steps.

6. In a moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps,abalustrading for one side of the steps comprising, a longitudinal framedisposed in line with the moving steps, said frame being provided Withaplurality of transverse apertures, a longitudinal skirt panel disposedbetween the frame and the steps, said panel having on its frame side alongitudinal T-slot opening toward the frame, a plurality of boltshaving their inner ends disposed in the T-slot and their outer endsdisposed in the apertures in the frame, and a plurality of nuts on eachbolt for adjusting and fixing the position of the bolts and consequentlythe skirt with reference to the side of thesteps.

'7. In a moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps, abalustrading for one side ofthe steps comprising a longitudinal framediS- posed in parallel with the steps, a longitudinal bar mounted on theframe and provided with a plurality of transverse holes disposed inspaced apart positions ina line parallel to the steps, a

longitudinal, skirt panel disposed between the frame and the steps forenhancing the safe operation. of the steps, a slot bar provided with aT-slot mounted on the frame side of the panel with its T-slot openingoutwardly toward the longitudinal bar, a plurality of nuts slidably dis-I posed in the T-slotof the slot bar, a plurality of stud bolts each ofwhich has its one end screwed through a nutin said slot and its otherend disposed in one of the holes in the longitudinal bar, and a nut oneach bolt on each side of the longitudinal bar for adjustably fixing thebolts in the longitudinal bar to hold the skirt in correct position withthe steps. I

8. In a moving stairway having an endless series of moving steps, abalustrading for a side of the stairway comprising a frame,a-longitudinal bar fixed on the frame, said barbeing provided with aplurality of spaced apart apertures, a longitudinalbalustrade skirtdisposed between thebalustrade frame and the steps, said skirt beingprovided with a longitudinal outwardly opening T-slot on its. innersurface,v and a plurality of push and pull bolts each of which has oneend in one of the apertures for adjustab ly fixing the skirt incorrectposition with reference to the disposed in the slot and its other end.disposed

